Snaplock on knife blade protector



Sept. 1, 1959 J. WIDEN SNAPLOCK ON KNIFE BLADE PROTECTOR Filed June 24, 1958 1N VEN TOR.

ATTD RNEYS United States Patent Office Patented Sept. 1, 1959 1 2,901,823 SNAPLOCK ON KNIFE BLADE PROTECTOR John Widen, Rock Island, Ill. Application June 24, 1958, Serial No. 744,101

2 Claims. '(Cl. 30- -1 51 This invention relates to a scabbard and blade or knife, and more particularly to a'means for preventing, accidental removal of the knife from the scabbard.

The object of the invention is to provide a locking device which is adapted to be used for selectively retaining a knife in a sca'bbard so that accidental loss or removal of the knife from the scabbard is prevented.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking device which can be readily manually actuated so as to permit release of the knife from the scabbard, and wherein the locking device of the present invention will not interfere with normal use of the knife or scabbard.

A further object of the invention is to provide a knife locking device which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same.

Figure 1 is an elevational view illustrating the locking device of the present invention, and showing the knife partly removed from the scabbard, and with parts broken away and in section.

Figure 2 is a view taken at right angles to the view shown in Figure 1, and showing the knife all the way in the sca-bbard.

Figure 3 is a view showing the parts in the position of Figure 2, but taken at right angles to the view shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view, with parts broken away and in section, illustrating a modification.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral indicates a scabbard which includes an end portion 11 of reduced size, and a collar -12 is mounted on the reduced end 11, Figure 1. The numeral 13 indicates a spring member which includes a main straight portion 14 that is secured to the collar 12 in any suitable manner, as for example by welding, or by means of securing elements such as the rivets 15. The spring member 13, includes, in addition to the main straight portion 14, a curved end portion 16, and the spring member 13 is provided with an opening -17, for a purpose to be later described.

The numeral 18 indicates a knife that embodies a blade 19, and the blade 19 is adapted to be snugly received in the space 20 within the scabbard 10.

The knife 18 further includes a handle 21, and the numeral 22 indicates a pin which is slidably or movably supported in the handle 21. The pin 22 is provided with enlarged heads 23 or enlarged ends 23 whereby the pin 22 will be prevented from becoming entirely separated from the handle 21. The pin 22 is slidably or movably mounted in an opening or bore 24 in the handle 21.

Arranged contiguous to the handle 21 is a bushing, hilt, or guard 25, and the numeral 26 indicates a lug or keeper which extends outwardly from the bushing 25 and which is secured thereto or formed integral therewith.

The outer portion of the lug 26 is tapered or inclined as at 27. The big 26 is adapted to be selectively received in the opening l-Z of the spring member 13L There is further provided a support member 28 which is adapted to be secured to the s'cabbard 10 in any suitable m'anner, asfor example by means of the securing elements 15. A loop 29 is connected to the support member 28 by means of securing elements 30, and the loop 29 may be arranged in engagement with a belt orothr article of clothing.

Referring now toFigure 4 of the drawings, there is illustrated a modification wherein the numeral 31 indicates a scabbard that is adapted to receive the blade 33 of a knife 32. A spring member 34 is'secured'to the outer surface of the scabbard 31, and the spring member 34 carries a lug 35 which is mounted for movement into and out of engagement with an openingor recess 36 of a bushing 37. The bushing 37 is arranged contiguous to the knife handle 38.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a locking device for-use in selectively retaining a knife in a scabbard or sheath. According to the present invention, with the parts in the position shown in Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that the blade 19 is fully encased in the Scabbard 10, and with the blade in this position, the lug 26 projects through the opening 17 of the spring member 13. Thus, accidental disengagement of the knife 18 from the scabbard 10 is prevented since the lug 26 projects through the opening 17. However, when it is desired to remove the knife 18 from the scabbard 10, it is only necessary to press on the head portion 23 with the fingers or finger of a hand and this will cause the inner end 39 of the pin 22 to move against the outer end portion 16 of the spring member 13 so that the end portion 16 of the spring member 13 will be flexed sufliciently to permit the opening 17 to clear the lug 26 so that the knife 18 can be readily manually removed from the scabbard 10.

When inserting the knife in the scabbard, it is only necessary to move the blade 19 into the space 20 and as the knife moves in from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that the tapered surface 27 of the lug 26 will engage the curved portion 16 of the spring member 13 so as to flex the spring member 13 slightly whereby the lug 26 can move into engagement with the opening 17. The slight curvature of the portion 16 provides a guiding surface which facilitates movement of the lug 26 into the opening 17, and the tapered surface 27 also facilitates the proper positioning of the lug in the opening.

Thus, it will be seen that there has been provided a locking device which is constructed so that in order to remove the knife from the scabbard, it is necessary to first manually move the pin 22 which will flex the end portion 16 of the spring member 13 sufliciently so that the lug 26 can be retracted without being stopped by the opening 17. When inserting the knife in the scabbard, the flexibility of the spring member 13 permits the lug 26 to readily move into place in engagement with the opening 17 without the necessity of any special effort on the part of the user.

The loop 29 can be attached to a persons belt or it can be held in the hand or attached to any other article.

In Figure 4 there is illustrated a modification wherein the locking device is shown to comprise the spring member 34 which is secured to the outer surface of the scabbard 31 in any suitable manner. The spring member 34 carries the lug 35 which is mounted for movement into and out of engagement with the opening 36 in the knife 32. When the knife 32 is to be removed from the scabbard 31, it is only necessary to manually engage the projecting end portion of the spring member 34 and flex this end portion slightly so as to permit the lug 35 to clear the opening 36. When inserting the knife 32 in the scabbard 31, the flexibility of the spring member 34 will permit the spring member 34 'to flex sufficiently so that the lug 35 can conveniently seat in'the opening 36.

With the present invention, accidental loss or displacement of the knife will be prevented since the knife cannot be removed without actuating the locking device.

The parts can be made of any suitable material and in different shapes or sizes. The pin 22 functions as a release pin which must be actuated when the knife 13 is being removed from the scabbard.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a Scabbard including a hollow interior, an end of said scabbard being of reduced size, a collar mounted on said reduced end, a spring member having a main straight portion secured to said collar, said spring member further including an outer curved portion, there being an opening in said spring member, a knife including a blade adapted to be positioned in said scabbard, said knife further including a handle, a manually movable pin slidably supported in said handle and said pin being mounted for movement into and out of engagement with the curved portion of said spring member, a guard connected to said knife and arranged contiguous to said handle, and a lug secured to said guard and mounted for movement into and out of engagement with the opening in said spring member.

2. In a device of the character described, a scabbard including a hollow interior, an end of said Scabbard being of reduced size, a collar mounted on said reduced end, a spring member having a main straight portion secured to said collar, said spring member further including an outer curved portion, there being an opening in said spring member, a knife including a blade adapted to be positioned in said scabbard, said knife further including a handle, a manually movable pin slidably supported in said handle and said pin being mounted for movement into and out of engagement with the curved portion of said spring member, a guard connected to said knife and arranged contiguous to said handle, a lug secured to said guard and mounted for movement into and out of engagement with the opening in said spring member, said lug having a tapered outer surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

